Tuesday evening (15th) certainly proved a thoroughly disappointing night for Bangor Football Club, as not only did the Mens Senior team return to Clandeboye Park, beaten on penalties by Glenavon in the playoffs, the ladies section of the Irish League side, fell victim to a lively and very young Saint Matthews team in an Intermediate B Divisional game played at the Valentines.
While Chairman Trevor Best must lift his deflated side, having been cruelly denied a place in Premier football next season, the ladies have very little time in which to get back into the groove, with three games in the next two weeks.
It was just one of those nights for the ladies section who somehow managed to lose this one, despite being the better team for long spells, the side were guilty of failing to kill off a fixture when in the ascendacy.
The final score of 4-2 would suggest a comfortable win for the visitors, in fact, it should have been more a case of Bangor picking up a tidy 3 points to add to the 6 already chalked up at home this season.
The Seasiders continue to suffer a bout of erratic errors, panicky play and at times desperate defending. This continues to plaque the team and exposes a lack of confidence, something which has crept into the last couple of fixtures.
Despite opening the 2007 league campaign brightly, with wins over PSNI and Wellington the team slumped, failing to capitalise on that early momentum and this issue will have to be addressed - with a long 5-months of the season still to play out.
Manager Craig: “It’s very frustrating for everyone at the club, we’re working hard at training but things just aren’t happening when it matters. This was one game which I felt we could and should have done better - we can and need to lift our performances, and the only way we can achieve that, is to get back out there on the pitch as soon as possible. Prove to ourselves that we have the character and the desire needed to be capable of lifting ourselves out of this rut.
We’ve still fourteen league games to go and the season will have lots of twists and turns, we just have to take this defeat on the chin, and move on - we could face a busy three game schedule in the next fortnight and it couldn’t come quickly enough as far as I am concerned.
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The rain forecast on Tuesday evening, which had threatened all day, thankfully didn’t materialise and the fixture was played in ideal conditions with Saint Matthews kicking-off attacking the Abbey Street end.
And attack they did, piling forward up the right hand side, from literally the first shot of the game, found themselves 1 goal up - the Bangor defence left bewildered and static.
However, this setback was soon overshadowed as the Seasiders settled with a chance to get straight back into the fixture - Deirdre Savage getting through but failing to convert. At this point, despite the reversal, Bangor just needed to settle and take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Having snatched the early lead, St. Matthews however were happy to pack ten players behind the ball, leaving one up top, inviting Bangor to have go at them.
This proved to very difficult to break down, the midfield of McNamara, Cull, Duncan and Scott getting drawn high up the pitch - the home side just got bogged down, while the visitors relyed on relieving the pressure by releasing, when they could, a very quick talented young forward who memorised the whole Bangor defence with her pace and skill.
With the Seasiders all at sea, Savage managed to muscle her way on to a ball slipped through the St. Matthew’s defence and lashed in under pressure from 9 yards to grab the important equaliser and her fifth strike of the season.
Chances followed as the visitors wobbled and with a bit of luck the home side could quite easily have taken to the lead. Savage had one drive, Cull a free kick and Scott also had half a chance which just ran away from her.
Then Mahood had one effort blocked with Cathy Duncan following up in midfield connecting with a fierce volley which unfortunately was hit straight at the visiting goalkeeper, who thankfully smothered the shot in.
The visitors opted to play with no recognized shape, choosing instead to swarm around the ball and use their very lively and talented striker to occupy the Seasiders’ back four - it was very difficult for either side to settle and to be truthful the home side just didn’t have an answer to break the visiting defence.
A corner awarded to the visitors led to the third goal of the night, a clever inswinger catching the Bangor No.1 right under the crossbar under pressure, the ball ended up in the back of the net 2-1. Half time.
Two changes due to injury, did nothing to help the home side - who continued to press for a breakthrough against the visitors resolute defending, without success.
The composure needed in the side, especially at the back was missing, as time and time again the Seasiders failed to use the width of the pitch. This made the game narrow and congested, with the back line choosing to just lash the ball back into the mixer with the inevitable and predictable consequences.
The visitors third goal, the proverbial nail in the coffin, came from yet another corner - the archilles heal in the Bangor defence all season - a good cross was met at cleanly the back post - a Saint Matthews forward enjoying the freedom of the borough to pick her spot and slot home 3-1.
A glimmer of hope as Mahood, always on the fringe of the contest, did make a key contribution with a spectacular goal from out wide on the right - McNamara who was behind everything positive for Bangor forged up the right hand side and with a good pass found Mahood.
The Bangor striker got a crucial good first touch and teed it up with her second to send in a inswinger which eluded the goalkeeper and ended up nestling in the bottom corner 3-2 - game on?
Still the home side stuttered - Kim Dockery, making a rare appearance between the sticks in the second half, in place of injured Matthews was rarely troubled although on sixty-five minutes she produced the next talking point.
From a mix up between McKibben and Webb who managed to deflect an effort which Dockery acrobatically turned onto the post. The ball fell kindly for Saint Matthews and the grateful number 10 lashed in from close range but Dockery up quick, responded instinctively and got a hand to turn it the effort over the bar.
With the game in the balance 3-2 and 15 to go, it was felt that if Bangor could get into some sort of rhythm and start to play some football - this game was there for the taking - and it should have been.
This should have signalled a revival for the Seasiders at 3-2 and all to play for, but the home side just could not cope with the congestion in midfield, and true to form, from a breakaway, that lively and very talented St.Matthews’ forward broke through one tackle and with some neat footwork rounded Dockery to make it 4-2 and kill off the contest.
Their was no real response from Bangor who just couldn’t get hold of the ball all evening and slipped to their first home defeat rather meekly, the team will have felt the disappointment in letting the three points go without a fight, to be fair, not a familiar characteristic associated with the club.
Once again a slow start and poor defending from set pieces were the catalyst for a poor overall performance, by a side capable of beating any team in their division on their night, but, who at the moment can't get into their stride.
Christina McNamara who is a key player for the Bangor side, was the one player who really stood out in another frustrating evening. Working tirelessly out on the right hand side, chasing both defensively and in attack, the talented midfielder showed some real grit in trying to lift the side, but despite her efforts, her team-mates just weren’t able to match her contribution.
FIXTURE PILE-UP
Bangor face a bit of a fixture pile up at the moment, the club due to play Dungoyne next Tuesday (22nd) - this won’t take place, as Dungoyne face Killyleagh in a cup match that evening. The re-scheduled game against Knockbreada could go ahead the following Monday, 28th and will be followed by the league game against Crumlin on Wednesday 30th - where the club have the opportunity to get back on the winning trail.
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Tuesdays game (22nd) v. Dungoyne postponed
Last Edited on 29-Apr-2008 8:56 PM
